181th anniversary of the naming of Mount Kosciuszko
10.03.2021
This year's celebrations of the discovery and naming of Mt. Kosciuszko were held in the Snowy Valleys region. 181 years ago, on March 9, 1840, Paweł Strzelecki’s expedition set off from these areas and led Polish explorer to the highest peak in continental Australia.
The celebrations began in Welaregang where Ambassador Michał Kolodziejski and Justin Clancy, a member of the New South Wales parliament (who represented the state minister for multiculturalism Geoff Lee) unveiled a plaque commemorating the ascent of the peak and the naming of Mt. Kosciuszko by Paweł Strzelecki. The next part of the ceremony took place in one of the main cities of the region, Tumbarumba, and included, among others, a presentation of an exhibition devoted to the involvement of Paweł Strzelecki in helping the victims of the famine in Ireland in 1845-1849. It was opened by Ambassador of Ireland, Breandan Ó Caollai, in the presence of state MPs, the mayor and other Councillors of Snowy Valleys, as well as the local Elders of the Ngarigo people. The premiere of the exhibition, prepared by the Embassy of Poland in Dublin, took place in Dublin in 2019, with the participation of the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins.
The main organizer of the anniversary celebrations of the discovery and naming of Mount Kosciuszko was the Polish organization Kosciuszko Heritage.
